Buy any travel book on Havana or Google its top attractions and must-see highlights, and somewhere in the top rankings, you will find the Malecon. This Cuban icon, which began construction in 1901 and was completed in 1959 (the same year as the Cuban Revolution entered Havana), is a sea-hugging avenue approximately 8km (5miles) long on the northern shores of the island’s capital city Havana. It was constructed as a major artery for the city, as well as a sea defence to protect this Caribbean pearl from violent sea storms and floods which frequently hit Havana.